TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Aviation Police Bureau (航警局) on Wednesday (Aug. 14) clarified the controversy surrounding Olympic gold medalist Wang Chi-Lin's (王齊麟) girlfriend, Hime Chen (陳詩媛)'s airport welcome, stating that the Ministry of Education (教育部, MOE) legally applied for the pass, which the bureau approved per regulations.
Wang came back to Taiwan on Aug. 7, and his girlfriend, Chen, got a VIP pickup pass and entered a restricted zone to welcome him, sparking debate.
The bureau explained that passes for official receptions can be issued by central government agencies and their second-level units for VIP pickups, with a limit of three passes per flight. MOE followed the procedure by requesting passes for two: Chen, and Becky Wu, the chairperson of the Taiwan Senior Badminton Association (中華全民羽球發展協會, TSBA).
Wang Chi-Lin and Lee Yang (李洋) made history by winning consecutive gold medals in men's doubles at the Tokyo and Paris, a first for Taiwan's badminton team.
